


Must Love Dogs

by billyteddytrash



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Murder, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hannibal is a chef, Loosely based on the film Must Love Dogs, M/M, Online Dating, Smoking, WIP, Will is still a dog horder, also a teacher, very loosely
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2015-10-20
Packaged: 2018-04-19 22:55:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4764056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/billyteddytrash/pseuds/billyteddytrash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alana Bloom signs her ex boyfriend and best friend, Will Graham, up for online dating, and Hannibal Lecter is his dog-loving, food-savvy soulmate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome! This fic is an anniversary gift for my girlfriend Tiff, @wlllgraham on Twitter. Happy one year snuffleharp! I love you. 
> 
> I'll add tags/warnings as they become relevant.

"I told you, Alana, I'm not lonely."  
"The only company you've experienced in the last five months has been your dogs."  
"And what a beautiful five months it's been..." Will said as he turned his desk chair towards the windows. They've had this conversation half a dozen times since Tuesday, and it's only Friday morning.  
Leaning against the wooden doorway, Alana Bloom rolled her eyes. An exasperated groan escaped her throat. He's not sure if it's residual affection from their long-forgotten relationship or her position as the main counsellor of the school that has her so invested in this, but he doesn't want to humor either possibility. Advice based on pity or duty isn't generally helpful regardless of which it is.  
"Please Will, hear me out?"  
Her desperate tone made him swivel his chair back to face her. She'd stepped out of the doorway and was walking towards him.  
Will flashed his eyes to the clock above the doorway.  
7:56. Nearly there.  
He looked back to Alana, who'd made her way to his desk and was leaning against the side of it, head facing him. The morning sun caressed the silky, dark hair cascading down the left side of her pale face. He closed his eyes for a moment and cleared his throat. When he emerged from the darkness, he met her gaze.  
"I'm listening, Ms. Bloom."  
"Please stop shutting everything out and let me fix you up. I have a friend who'd be perfect for you. She's smart, loyal-"  
"No, Alana, no blind dates."  
Another look at the clock: 7:58. Close, so close.  
"Will you at least promise me you're trying to find someone?" Alana pleaded with him, "have you tried signing up for online dating?"  
"It's not that simple-"  
"It is, Will!"  
7:59.  
"If you don't start actively trying, so help me, I'll do it for-"  
RIIIIIIING  
8:00, time for work. Will sighed and pushed himself up as his students started to file into their seats.  
"Alana, I have a class to teach. Do whatever you'd like, but I have no desire nor inclination to take action to change my relationship status."  
He broke eye contact to face the dark chalkboard, and began to write.  
"But by all means, do as you please."  
His colleague smirked, turned on her heel, and left the room.  
The second bell rang, and the chalkboard now read "George Orwell" in neat yet imposing capital letters. Picking up his battered personal copy of 1984, he faced his students and began his lesson on metaphor. 

•••••

Alana Bloom sat in her bedroom after midnight, her fiancée tucked comfortably into their shared bed. Margot's steady breathing put her mind at ease as she typed in the website that helped her find the love of her life: DateMate.com.  
She felt her mouth morph into a smirk, a familiar one, the one she wore when she was doing something for someone's own good. Her chest tightened as she typed out the information requested, and she looked at the profile, and nodded. This was for his own good. He'll thank her later, when he falls in love with his match.  
And he will.  
She types into the addition section three words: must love dogs.  
It's perfect, she thought. This is who Will Graham is, to a tee.  
Just as she was closing the laptop, she heard the gentle bing that marks a match being made.  
Her smirk turned to a smile.  
That was quick. 

•••••

The weekend was quiet, uneventful. The best kind of weekend. Hours upon hours spent with his seven dogs, drinking warm tea, and reading. Sunday evening, he watched an entire season of Game of Thrones from his bed, his dogs comfortably curled up in their own. Before he knew it, he was sound asleep.  
The next morning, Will awoke with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He stretched up and looked at his alarm clock, and his mood soured further. It was already 7:06; he'd slept in.  
"Fuck."  
He sat up too fast and was rewarded with a painful head rush. Eyes throbbing, he stumbled around his bedroom rushing to get himself together. Somehow, he made his way to his car, and to the school, where he found his reserved parking spot to be taken by someone else.  
Today's just shaping up to be fucking fantastic, isn't it.  
Will cursed under his breath as he turned into the designated student parking.  
He bolted up the stairs to the third floor. His quick, erratic footsteps echoed down the hallway as Will huffed out short breaths. He'd never been late to work before, he wasn't going to start now. As he reached room 317, his room, he checked his watch. 7:49. God damn.  
Upon opening the door, he spotted Alana Bloom sat at his desk, in his chair, an ecstatic smile across her face.  
There's that sinking feeling again.  
"Guess who's got a date on Wednesday."  
And there's why.  
The floor fall out from beneath his feet.  
Fuck, he thinks. Here we go.


	2. Profiling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You know damn well I'm engaged, William. And that I've wanted to set you up for a while. Put two and two together, dear, I know you're smarter than this."  
> He can feel his eyes close as he speaks through clenched teeth. "I never thought you'd actually do it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so the whole updating biweekly thing hasn't worked out this far, but I'm gonna keep trying for it. Sorry. For now, enjoy chapter two!

For a moment, Will decided to play dumb.   
"You're going on a date? Congratulations, how nice for you. Does Margot know?"  
Alana rolls her eyes. "You know damn well I'm engaged, William. And that I've wanted to set you up for ages. Put two and two together, dear, I know you're smarter than this."  
He can feel his eyes close as he speaks through clenched teeth. "I never thought you'd actually do it. Especially without my permission."  
"Ah," she says with a smug smile, "but I did have your go-ahead. 'Do whatever you want', remember?" Arms crossing, pride glowing from her eyes, she started crossing the room towards him. "And I did. And you have a hot date with your soulmate Wednesday."  
Will found his eyes wandering to the clock. It's 8:05?   
"Alana, where are my students?"  
"Will... Did you not catch the news this morning?" She furrowed her eyebrows as she reached him. "Too much fog this morning. No buses, no students. We've got the day off. Not let's get some coffee and talk some more about this."   
Pulling him by his arm, Alana lead the way out of the classroom. And Will, reluctant but curious, matched her pace. 

 

He stares at the laptop screen uncomfortably. DateMate.com?   
There were only two things he knew about this website. One: Alana met Margot on here. And two: Alana has now set an account up for him in an attempt to get the same happy ending. His smiling photo, Alana's favorite, seemed overzealous in comparison to other profile pictures.   
Admittedly, apart from the photo, Alana's profile of him was pretty accurate.   
Will Graham, age 34, born January 30th, 1981, dark hair, blue eyes. English teacher, bookworm, coffee drinker, night owl. Pretty well sums him up. As he glances further down, he catches sight of "additional information". It's empty save for three words: Must love dogs.   
"How long did the website take to find my 'perfect match'?" He spoke as sarcastically as he could manage to emphasize his distain.   
"Basically no time. It was like this guy was made just for you. Here," she turns the laptop toward her, and then back to him. In place of his profile's was who he could only assume was his perfect match. "Check out your soulmate. Introducing: Dr. Hannibal Lecter."   
Sipping his coffee, Will looked through Dr. Lecter's profile.   
He's amazing.   
Dr. Hannibal Lecter, age 42, born July 12th, 1973, with brown hair and dark brown eyes. Professional chef with a PhD in psychiatry, cigarette smoker, wine enthusiast, jogger, intellectual, born in Lithuania. Unsurprisingly, under additional information, the same three words stand alone: must love dogs.   
"Wow. He seems..."  
"Absolutely perfect for you?" Alana asked, perking up. "Yes, he is. Still planning on ditching your dinner date?"  
Smugly, she sipped her caramel macchiato. He knew from the beginning she'd rope him into going, without a doubt. Alana Bloom isn't the type to back down. But what was surprising was that he somehow found himself looking forward to it.   
"I guess I'm going to dinner with Dr. Lecter." As he said this, he found it nearly impossible to tear his eyes away from Hannibal's photo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's so short. At least next chapter is the date. ;-)  
> Twitter: @buckolantern  
> Tumblr: billyteddytrash.tumblr.com

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! I'll try to update on the 10th and 25th of every month, but I'll make no guarantees. Comment & give Kudos if you liked it! 
> 
> Twitter: @msmarveI  
> Tumblr: billyteddytrash


End file.
